(line 1) When I was bathing, I found a hard spot in my breast. I think my heart stopped and I (line 2) began sobbing. I felt as if I was dying and I started crying [participant has tears in her eyes]. (line 3) Finally, I told myself that it could be nothing and made myself finish bathing. It was late at night so I (line 4) knew that if I called the doctor’s office, there would be no answer. So, I waited…that was a (line 5) miserable night. My husband was gone and I was all alone…..except for God. I fell asleep praying to (line 6) God that what I had found would end up being nothing. I woke up the next morning, feeling like (line 7) I had been beaten because I hurt in every part of my body…where my heart was supposed to be (line 8) [participant places hand over her heart] felt like a big hole. I called the doctor’s office at 8 am (line 9) and told the person who answered that I had to see the doctor. She said I could have an (line 10) appointment in 2 weeks. I told her that I had found a lump and I thought I would go mad if I had to wait (line 11) 2 weeks. She put me on hold and went to see what could be done. I sat and prayed and waited. (line 12) When she came back on the line, she said that the nurse practitioner would see me at 11 am. (line 13) I hung up and realized that it was Monday and I was supposed to be at work. I called the (line 14) office and told the manager that I had an emergency and could not come in today. I could not (line 15) bring myself to say what the emergency was….I was not ready for anyone to know. If someone (line 16) else knew, it might be real and I wanted it all to be a bad dream that would be over soon. (line 17) I don’t remember what I did until 10 am when it was time to leave for the doctor’s clinic. I (line 18) arrived early and sat in the waiting room turning the pages of a magazine….it must have been (line 19) an hour before the nurse came to the waiting room and called my name. (line 20) I sat down in the exam room and began to cry. The nurse practitioner had not come in (line 21) yet….she was surprised to see me crying when she opened my door. The first words out of my (line 22) mouth were that my mother had died last year from breast cancer and I found a lump in my (line 23) breast. The next thing I remember I was being given a sedative. The nurse had gotten the (line 24) number of a friend from my telephone and called my friend to come to the doctor’s office to pick (line 25) me up. I knew the friend I told them to call was a kind soul and she would not ask a lot of (line 26) questions but drop what she was doing to come. (line 27) The doctor came in when I was drifting in and out of sleep on the table. My breast was (line 28) uncovered and the nurse had washed and washed it to get it all ready. I could not hold my eyes (line 29) open….I was so sleepy…but I wanted her to cover my breast. I felt naked and did not want (line 30) everyone coming in and out to see my breast. I must have fallen asleep becaus.